Like most denizens of Vritannis she's come across, Schierke is once again called a witch by the men she faces. However, Sonia retaliates by accusing the men of being pirates, displaying a distinct lack of fright or even apprehension in their presence. She correctly deduces that the pirates (who prefer to think of themselves as traders) will sell the Kushan children into slavery. The pirates explain that since the adult Kushan slaves were all executed, they would put the children to use as oarsmen rather than dispose of them, after which they can be sold elsewhere.

Schierke declares that she does not care for Vritannis' laws or customs. This angers the lead pirate, who moves to grab her. However, Schierke succeeds in using her magic to paralyze the man, leaving him frozen in place and only able to speak. Sonia is delighted to see Schierke's magic at work. Suddenly, the frozen pirate is hit in the head by a small rock thrown by Isidro. Sonia suspects that Isidro is the boy that Schierke is in love with, but the latter rebuffs the theory.

Isidro cuts a man down for the first time.

Isidro berates the pirates for trying to abduct two young girls when, according to Isidro's mental picture of a pirate, they should be kidnapping fully grown, attractive women. One of the pirates is angered by Isidro's harping on and draws his sword to kill the boy. Once the pirate is close, Isidro suddenly drops to the ground, rolls forward while drawing his sword, and slices the pirate's leg. Isidro realizes after the fact that his body seemed to have moved on its own. What's more, it is also the first time Isidro has ever driven his blade through a person rather than a spirit or creature.

The other pirates have become much more serious after seeing a child cut their fellow down. They draw their swords and advance on Isidro, not intending to hold back. Worried, Schierke uses her thought transference to tell Isidro to retreat, but he only responds by telling her not to use her thought transference on him. Sonia informs Schierke that Isidro is fighting on the witch's behalf, and wholeheartedly cheers the boy on, claiming that he is heroic.

Isidro uses his small size and superior agility to his advantage during the fight to slice at the pirates' arms and legs. Despite his maintaining a leg up over the pirates, Schierke realizes that Isidro will eventually fall to them. Becoming increasingly worried, Schierke reaches out to Guts via telepathy and transmits her and Isidro's location to him.

Schierke was right: Isidro eventually finds himself surrounded by pirates, who promise to beat him within an inch of his life rather than killing him if he throws down his weapon. At the last moment, Isidro is saved by the timely arrival of Mule Wolflame on horseback. Sonia waves nonchalantly to him and informs Schierke that Mule is her "watch dog".

The pirates refuse to back down in Mule's presence, so he draws his sword and begins to fight, severing limbs and taking lives. With a shock, Isidro notices that Mule is killing without hesitation, and charges back into the fight, not to be outdone. Suddenly, a one-legged pirate leaps from the nearest ship and, using the ship's rigging, swings through the air and kicks Mule in the chest. The pirate lands on the ground before Mule, and the men around him address him as their boss.